Backhoe



March 29, 1966 R. D. MOORE 3,243,065

BACKHOE Filed March 26, 1964 l. .i zaqg ggq I United States Patent 3,243,065 BACKHOE R. Dale Moore, Aurora, 11]., assignor to International Harvester Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 26, 1964, Ser. No. 354,839 1 Claim. (Cl. 214-138) This invention relates to backhoes, and more particularly to the control levers for directing movement of the backhoe.

Presently, it is the habit of operators of earth moving equipment to remain seated for long periods of time while handling levers which control the various movements of the equipment. It is therefore desirable that the control levers be positioned as conveniently as possible to eliminate any bending or reaching which unduly tires the operator and further to remove the levers from interfering with the operators lower extremities. Also by a symmetrical arrangement of the levers, it is easier for operators to pay less attention to the physical actions of moving the levers thereby permitting them to direct most of their attention to the equipment and its relative position to the actual work being done. Further, by a convenient arrangement of the control levers, it is easier for operators to learn to handle the equipment, thereby making skilled help available in a shorter period of time.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide new and improved control levers in earth moving equipment arranged in a more accessible manner thereby providing more comfort and safety to the operator.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved control levers which permit the operating linkage and valves to be positioned in a covered and protected location thereby shielding the equipment from dust and dirt common to this type of work and guarding the operator and the equipment from damage.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved arrangement of the control levers in symmetrical groupings thereby making the sequence of operation and control easier to remember and perform.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective showing the operators seat and the control levers relative to the equipment; and

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view showing the location of the control levers and valves relative to the operators seat.

While an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing and will be described in detail herein, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms and it should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawing, the invention is best shown in FIGURE 1 in its enviroment relative to a prime mover having a steering wheel 11 and moving wheels 12. A backhoe 13 is connected to the prime mover 10 and is of the usual construction including a frame 14 and an operators platform 15. The operators platform includes a floor 16 and an operators seat 17 having a back rest 18 and a seat portion 19. Attached to the frame 14 and operated by a hydraulic circuit to be here inafter discussed are supports 20, a boom 21, a dipper stick 22, and a bucket 23. In this embodiment of a backhoe it is necessary that the moving elements of the machine be powered and this is accomplished with a num- Patented Mar. 29, 1966 her of hydraulic rams 24 and fluid lines 25. In order to activate a particular ram 24 at the proper time a number of valves 26 (six in this embodiment) are incorporated in the hydraulic circuit and each valve 26 will control a single ram 24.

The arrangement of valves 26 is best shown in FIG- URE 2 where the valves are in line and each has a hydraulic input 27. The valves are mounted in a housing 28 which is located on floor 16. The housing 28 includes a top 28 and inwardly turned flanges 29. A cover 30 is removably attached to flanges 29 as by fasteners 31. The valves 26 are therefore enclosed in a protective housing to prevent entry of foreign material to the hydraulic circuit and also to protect the valves from damage.

It is necessary to operate the valves 26 in a convenient and simple manner and this is accomplished by levers 35a-f in the following manner. A pair of shafts 36 and 37 are located under the operators seat 17 and supported in the housing 28 as by bearings 38 and 39, and braces 40. The shafts are in an end-to-end relation and are on a common axis. Shaft 36 is pivotally attached to a valve 26 at one end and to an outer lever 3511 at the other end. Shaft 37 is pivotally attached to another of valves 26 at one end and to an outer lever 35 at the other end.

Each of shafts 36 and 37 are inside a pair of bushings having an axis common to the axis of the shafts. Bushings 41 and 43 are on shaft 37. Bushing 41 is pivotally attached to one of valves 26 at one end and to an intermediate lever arm 35c at the other; bushing 42 is pivotally attached to one of valves 26 at one end and to an intermediate lever arm 35b at the other; bushing 43 is pivotally attached to one of valves 26 at one end and to an inner lever 35d at the other; and bushing 44 is pivotally attached to one of valves 26 at one end and to an inner lever 350 at the other. Each of the various lever arms 3512- are firmly aflixed to its respective shaft or bushing as by fasteners 50.

As best seen in FIGURE 2 inner levers 35c and 35d are shorter than the intermediate levers 35b, 35a, and outer levers 35a and 35 are longer than 35d and 350 but shorter than 352, 35b.

Thus when any specific lever arm is actuated, it moves only its specific shaft or bushing and thereby operates only a single valve 26 to operate a specific hydraulic ram. This then provides the individual control to position bucket 23 in any desired working position.

By arranging the lever arms 35a in the symmetrical arrangement as disclosed herein and by locating them as shown relative to the operators seat, a control system is provided which is easily and comfortably operated, yet prevents the possibility of damage to the hydraulic valves and injury to the operator.

What is claimed is:

The combination of a prime mover having an operators seat, a backhoe comprising a boom, a dipper stick and a bucket, means for moving the boom, dipper stick and bucket comprising:

a pair of elongated shafts beneath the operators seat having a common horizontal axis extending transversely of the seat;

a plurality of bushings on each of said shafts;

a plurality of lever arms arranged in sets at opposite sides of the seat and all of the lever arms of each set extending above the level of the seat and connected one to each of said shafts and one to each of said bushings, said lever arms being located immediately adjacent said seat and arranged symmetrically along both sides thereof;

a hydraulic circuit for operating the backhoe;

a plurality of valves in said hydraulic circuit located beneath the operators seat;

means connecting one of each of said shafts and bushfor an operator by feel alone to the respective inner ings to one of each of said valves; and outer levers.

cover means for enclosing said valves and said connecting means, each set of lever arms comprising an Referen es Cited by the Examiner inner lever positioned closest to the seat, an interme- 5 diate lever disposed outwardly of the respective inner UNITED STATES PATENTS lever and an outer lever disposed outwardly of the 117 335 1 1 14 g 4 intermediate lever, corresponding levers of each set 2 39 043 5/1953 G h 214 13 X being of corresponding height and the inner lever 2 733 905 4 1957 Davis et aL 2 g X being shorter than the intermediate lever and the 10 2 792 133 5 1957 Olson X outer lever being longer than the inner lever but 3 0 1 122 10 19 2 Robbins 214 133 X shorter than the intermediate lever, and the interme- 3 120 397 2 19 4 Van Auwelaer et 1 3 X diate lever because of its greater height than the inner and outer levers of the respective set and because of HUGO SCHULZ Primary Examinen its position in the set providing a reference position 15 

